


A different kind of game

by SaberNezumi



Category: The Favourite (2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 12:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17918513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaberNezumi/pseuds/SaberNezumi
Summary: That afternoon, Sarah told Abigail, without a trace of doubt in her voice."We were playing very different games."





	A different kind of game

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the scene where Abigail checks Anne's mail.

It's a quiet morning in the palace, without major news.

The Queen is about to get up, but Abigail has been awake for hours. She drinks tea to calm the thoughts in her mind, which seem to run rampant since the previous afternoon. She fails, miserably. Just like she failed yesterday. Anne’s expression, illegible and distant, eats her. Maybe mentioning the diversion of money had not been the best idea, her emotions clouded her reasoning. She slipped up.

The sound of the room's door opening reaches her ears. It's Sally with a tray in her hand. As ordered, all mail destined for the Queen must have her approval beforehand. The servants know that Abigail is exceeding her powers, but they remain silent. After all, who would be stupid enough to go against the Queen's favourite.

“I need to put it back”, a weak protest is the only thing that comes out of Sally's mouth.

Abigail ignores her. One by one, she goes over the letters addressed to the Queen. Until she notices that one of them has a burgundy wax seal with a clear "S" in the middle. _Sarah._ Her blood boils and for a moment Abigail feels the need to crumple it between her fingers, to shred it immediately, but she holds back. She simply leaves it to one side, but not before giving a warning glance to the servant at her side.

“Be gone”, she orders, returning the rest of the mail to the tray.

Eager to know the contents of the letter, she doesn’t stop to think about leaving her tea aside or waiting for Sally to be out of the room to break the seal. Abigail opens the letter without much care and extends the thick paper before her eyes, beginning to read immediately.

What started as a hasty reading, in a few lines became a more leisurely journey. Her fingers relaxed the grip on the letter. And without realizing it, little by little a twinge of something like pain, or guilt perhaps, was making an appearance in her chest. The confident and implacable image of the Duchess of Marlborough contrasted sharply with the way she addressed Anne.

_“My smiling dear Anne… without your love…”_

_“I cope with this distance between us. I am extremely sorry dearest Anne.”_

Carefully, she turned the letter over to finish reading it.

_“… dear Anne, your most faithful friend and humble servant, Sarah.”_

The tea stopped tasting sweet in her mouth.

Silently, she stood up and without hesitation approached the fireplace to drop the letter on it. The flames consumed it in just a few seconds. Now, it was other thoughts that occupied Abigail’s mind. Very different from those of a few minutes ago. Distant memories of that evening when she discovered the precious secret shared by the Queen and her mistress of the robes. A secret that they kept between four walls, and that manifested itself in kisses, longing glances, sweet caresses, words of love whispered in between smiles, and drowned moans.

A lonely tear began to fall down her cheek. She swallowed hard to try to ease the sudden dryness in her throat.

That afternoon, Sarah told Abigail, without a trace of doubt in her voice.

_**"We were playing very different games."** _

It was clear now. For Abigail, it had never been about love. For them…

The maid of the Queen’s bedchambers wondered if she had lost part of herself in the process, in her desperate attempt to survive.

She forced herself to drink some of the tea that was still in her glass, a hint of disgust on her lips. Abigail could not shake off the feeling of discomfort. Letting out a sigh, she wiped with her fingers the tear that threatened to leave a mark on her makeup. With one last look at the ashes of the letter in which Sarah had poured out her deepest feelings and desires, Abigail turned around to attend to Her Majesty's call.

A new game was about to begin, and she was a key player in it.

After all, Abigail had made sure of that.

She was always on her side.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any grammatical error. English is not my first language.  
> Congrats to Olivia Colman on winning Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Oscars!


End file.
